Did you think S&C would totally ignore the upcoming nuptials of Wills and Kate? No way! Especially when Ms. S&C has two great friends living in London and so close to the action! Especially when we’re talking about a real prince and princess. Especially when the soon-to-be-princess wears such magnificent hats! Especially when we can find an excuse to use the phrase tea and crumpets. And cheerio.

Friends of S&C who live in London discuss the upcoming Royal Wedding

When Ms. S&C reached out to Mere, an American living in London for three years now, she seemed a little more excited that the sun had been shining for a few days straight — and that she has Friday off work — than the actual wedding. Here’s what else she had to say:

What will you and most British people be doing the day of the Royal Wedding?

Either watching it on TV at home or in a pub. I haven’t decided what to do yet, I have a feeling I might try to ride my bike down to the park by the palace. Other things that most neighborhoods are having block parties so that should be fun. I think there is one in my square. Also: lots and lots of UK flags are everywhere. It is like the World Cup all over again.

What will you be drinking to celebrate the occasion? What will most Englishmen be drinking?

Pimms! of course. Also the standard of beer. But I think it will be more Pimms and Champagne.

Tell us something about the Royal Wedding — and the festivities — that we don’t know.

I think the U.S. news has covered everything. I think most Londoners are going to bunker down and go to their local pub or friend’s place and the people downtown will be tourists. There are a crapload of random things you can buy like mugs, magnets, ash trays, bells, etc.

Tell us why we should care about the Royal Wedding?

I have no idea why anyone should really care about the Royal Wedding. But it is a day off here so I am glad it is happening.

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S&C friend, Sesolf, an American living in London for less than three months, is a bit more like us: a little more caught up in the fairy tale and extravaganza. Here’s what she has to say about the wedding day:

What will you and most British people be doing the day of the Royal Wedding?

I am desperately looking for the best pub / bbq / party to go and watch the whole affair whilst drinking heavily. I think I’ve finally been pointed in the direction of a pub in Spitalfields where the owner is a crazy character of a woman who is already a major royalist and I’m told should be putting on a great party for it. But, every Brit that I have talked to says they have no interest in watching and will be going to bbqs b/c it is a free day off of work, so they will be getting completely wasted, but just not at all caring to watch the wedding itself. I, however, will find a way. At the very least, there is a pub down the street that is throwing a proper drinking and viewing party, so I will go there alone if need be…

What will you be drinking to celebrate the occasion? What will most Englishmen be drinking?

I think most will be drinking beer and cider at bbqs, as mentioned above. I’ll drink cider in a pub, since I’m not a big beer drinker and don’t trust wine in pubs – and don’t want to drink wine at 11 AM. That said, if the pub has a sparkling, preferably prosecco, I will load up on that to celebrate the nuptials.

Tell us something about the Royal Wedding — and the festivities — that we don’t know.

I had a great fun conversation this weekend with someone from The Sunday Times who insists that this whole wedding and “love story” was a complete coup planned by the Middleton family from the moment Wills decided to go to St. Andrews. Apparently Kate was going to university somewhere else, and then changed all her plans to go to St. Andrews, all with the intention of finding Wills and marrying him. It was absolutely hysterical, b/c he was adamant that she is a little hussy doing whatever her parents make her do to get into the royal family and Wills is such a dumb dolt that he’d have no idea and just fall for it… I enjoyed the conversation, but am still sticking to the fairy tale story and happy to like Kate… for now. (Also, side note, most interesting to me is that EVERY Brit apparently knows that Harry’s dad was the bodyguard that Diana had an affair with – spitting image of him, it’s not even a question – but I’d never heard that in the U.S. I mean, obviously we can see that they very likely have different fathers, but still, I had know idea it was just absolutely known and accepted here. Also, Diana was sleeping around with loads of footballers etc., while Charles and Camilla were 100% together from pre-marriage and on… this came up in the statement that Kate will be just like Diana and sleep around within a year.

Tell us why we should care about the Royal Wedding?

Because it is even more awesome when in the context of all the royal scandal as discussed above. And it is real. I mean, he really is a prince. And she really is a commoner who is going to become a princess. I love it!

Has Ms. S&C mentioned that she has awesome friends? She has awesome friends.

Here’s the final installment of Ms. S&C’s Seneca Lake recap. Over the course of three fun-filled days, here’s what you could find friends imbibing by the water, on a sailboat, by the grill, on the porch, on a swing, playing games, by the bonfire (did I miss anything?): Grapefruit Crush, Bloody Mary, Mai Tai (for the luau-themed dinner), Gin & Tonic, Dark ‘n’ Stormy, Pimm’s Cup (and variations of), Beer, Wine, Champagne.

One specialty cocktail (that was planned in advance): Five Island Punch.

The Five Island Punch was made with Banks Rum, a new rum on the market that is a blend of aged rums from five island distilleries. Ms. S&C doesn’t know a whole heck of a lot about rum (not like this guy), but she certainly loved it in this cocktail. And naturally, fresh watermelon this time of the year is a perfect mixer for cocktails.

The Banks Five Island Punch

Ingredients:

2 oz Banks rum

1 1/2 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz simple syrup

4 oz watermelon puree

Directions:

Shake all ingredients together, serve over ice, and garnish with mint sprig and lime wheel.

Coffee is probably the one beverage Ms. S&C can’t live without (actually, coffee may have to fight it out with Champagne). So, when another friend came with a surprise bottle of Van Gogh Double Espresso vodka, she couldn’t have been happier to make iced coffee drinks. Then, the drinks were paired with these amazing orange glazed cookies. The lake is like a culinary wonderland.

Iced Double Espresso

Directions:

Pretty simple stuff: fill glass with ice, pour a few ounces of coffee-flavored vodka, add a dash of cream, milk or half-and-half, and stir.

For some reason there are a few little snipets of dialogue, from the recent lake trip, that really tickled Ms. S&C. Maybe because they are centered around booze, maybe because she could title them both: “Make it two,” or maybe because she thinks her friends are funny (and funnier after a few drinks).

One afternoon, Ms. S&C and a few others toured Seneca Lake on a sailboat (a 24 footer, I believe). Upon arriving back at the dock, here’s what she overheard:

MGC (who had been sitting on the dock drinking beer with others while we were sailing) says to CA (who is about to exit the sailboat): “Was it a two Strongbow boat ride?”

CA: “It would have been if I had two Strongbows.”

(What’s really funny about this is: Strongbow ciders are a favorite of the guys at the lake. That’s who we buy them for.)

Here’s one reason the lake is Ms. S&C’s favorite summer weekend.
Another reason? Her friends are funny.

Then, one evening, at least 12 of us (almost the entire group at the lake), were sitting around a table playing the game Left-Center-Right. Those not playing were standing around watching. (If you’ve ever played the game, you know it can get kind-of intense towards the end, when you’re only down to two or three players, and there’s a large stack of dollar bills to be won.)

JS (who ultimately wins the game) says: “Is there anyone standing who knows how to make a Dark ‘n’ Stormy?”

JM perks up and adds: “Is there anyone standing who knows how to make *two* Dark ‘n’ Stormies?”

(One reason JS asked this question was because we had a conversation about how it is sometimes difficult to find people who know how to make a real Dark ‘n’ Stormy. Ms. S&C, of course, knows how to make real Dark ‘n’ Stormies — but she was playing the game.)

Every August, Ms. S&C takes her annual trip up to Seneca Lake. It is quite possibly her favorite weekend of the year. (She’s written about these lake trips before.) Here’s what you can expect when you’re at the lake with Ms. S&C and her funny, funny friends.

One of Ms. S&C’s favorite escapes of the year is just days away. Every August, (for the past six years or so), Ms. S&C joins some of her best friends in the world for an extended weekend getaway at Seneca Lake, Ny. Activities include: canoeing, horseshoes, lots of cooking, daytime drinking, nighttime drinking, trashy magazines, laughing, party games (Celebrity and Apples to Apples are faves), bonfires, plenty of shenanigans. Hell, it is just a lot of fun sitting on the dock or on the porch (both overlook the water).

As you may expect, there is always a well-stocked bar at the lake. Last year, popular cocktails included Pimm’s Cup and S&C’s Watermelon Lemonade. Surprisingly, Ms. S&C has yet to drink a watermelon cocktail this season (though she did have a great watermelon agua fresca at Oyamel recently). So, she is going to bring back the-fruit-that-was-destined-for-cocktails (plus, a great option when serving a crowd of 10 or more), and make Watermelon Margaritas and Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges.

1 small seedless watermelon, red or yellow, quartered and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup tequila

1/4 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec

2 limes, halved or cut into wedges

Flaked sea salt or coarse salt

Directions:

Arrange watermelon in a single layer in two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes. Bring sugar, water, tequila, and Triple Sec to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Pour syrup over watermelon wedges, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Remove watermelon from syrup, and arrange on a platter. Squeeze limes over melon, and season with salt.

Note: The longer the watermelon soaks, the more flavorful it becomes — one reason to save any leftover slices. Yeah right, leftover slices.

S&C went tailgating over the weekend. Headed to State College, PA, to see friends JD and Bob, and see Penn State take on clobber Michigan. It was super-fun being in a college town, and one that is crazy about football. Tailgating is, of course, awesome. S&C really likes hanging out with friends during the day, eating, and drinking. Not to mention, the fall foliage was gorgeous up there.

To celebrate the festivities, we prepared an autumnal punch, recipe courtesy of Ms. RB, our friend out of Texas. This punch is very mellow, so it is definitely appropriate for an afternoon of drinking. If you’re planning a Halloween party, or attending some other fall-related shindig, serve this punch. It is a winner.

After the game, we headed to The Tavern Restaurant, a town favorite, and famous for a drink called the “Original Sin.” The Original Sin recipe is top-secret, but apparently is 50% alcohol (including brandy), mixed with club soda, a secret fruity mixture (definitely includes maraschino in some form), and topped off with champagne. It reminds you of a spiked punch you may have had in high school. If you’re there, you have to try it.

Thanks for the great weekend State College friends! Reserve a tailgating spot for us next year – we’ll be there, ready to party Nittany Lions style.

About Shoes & Cocktails

The blog dedicated to shoes, cocktails, and things related was created by Ms. ShoesandCocktails, a Washington, DC area resident, who lives with her husband and dog, and is surrounded by friends with good taste and a weakness for cocktails. Ms. S&C would love to hear from you, so feel free to contact her at: shoesandcocktails(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Miss Mojito also joins Ms. S&C as a contributor. Miss M is from Richmond, VA, and lives and breathes for the delightful Cuban cocktail from which she borrows her name.